Amelia’s anger doubled from Ryan’s greeting, and the cheerful grin on his face like he wasn’t playing his silly games.“Where’s my daughter, Ryan?” she spat out.“Relax, baby. She’s fine and we’ve been expecting you,” his grin widened, only infuriating her more.“I’m not here for your games, Ryan. Get my child for me so I’ll leave peacefully,”“And if I don’t?” he cocked his perfectly shaped brow, leaning against the door. Amelia glared daggers at him, but he remained there, looking so relaxed like she wasn’t planning his death. Ignoring him, she pushed past him into his home, intending to find the child herself, and Ryan let her, happy to entertain her as long as she was in his home. He moved away from the door and closed it, following behind her.“Dora…” Amelia called at the top of her voice, expecting her child to come running into her arms but silence greeted her. “Dora, it’s mummy, please come out honey,” she tried again but got no response.She whipped towards Ryan who was behi
The more time that passed, the more Amelia realized that Ryan was actually serious and had meant every word he said when he’d made her promise to stay for a week. Also, he meant it when he said they’d be staying in for a week, because she didn’t see him for the rest of the day, as he was in his home office immersed in work, and the door remained locked.For the first few minutes after their aggravating exchange, she’d thought of different ways to escape and had also considered how easy it’d be for Ryan to stop her. After a while, she finally gave up on the thoughts because it dawned on her that there was truly no escape route. He was going to do everything within his powers to keep her under his roof until the end of the week. The reality of the situation was enough to make her depressed but the good part was that she was with her daughter and as long as she stuck to her part of thier agreement, she’d be leaving with her child and never in her life will she let him have her again.Ame
It was her first time in Ryan’s home and they’d just finished having dinner. She stood up to clear the dishes but his housekeeper, an older woman who seemed to be in her mid-forties, stepped out of the kitchen, smiling at her.“Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it,” the woman spoke, touching her arm and Amelia took her seat again, unsure of what to do. She’d blindly accepted the man’s proposed contract marriage, but now that she was in his home, she couldn’t help wondering if she’d made a mistake. It was only her first time being in his personal space since she signed the contract two days ago. On his instructions, he’d made an advance payment to her for her to get anything she’ll need while in his home, and thereafter she was to move in. The first thing Amelia did was to pay up her impending house rent at her old place. Thankfully, the money had been enough to cover up the rent. Thereafter, she’d packed her few belongings, mainly her clothes and as promised, Ryan had sent his driver
“I’m sorry, It’s just…” Amelia paused, biting down on her bottom lip while trying to find a way to explain things to James. Telling him the truth was out of the equation. She was aware of how strained their relationship was because of Ryan’s constant appearance in their lives. Telling him that she was currently staying at her ex-husband’s place would be an entirely different issue that she wasn’t ready to handle.“It’s just what, Amelia? It’s been two fucking days. The last time I heard from you was on Sunday after I dropped you off at home and you had to wait for Dora and her dad to return. Do you know how worried I’ve been? You haven’t shown up at work and this is the first time you’ve called.”His words made her heart squeeze, and she bit her lip harder to avoid telling him all that has been happening. Honestly, James deserved to know the truth but she couldn’t sacrifice what they had for whatever games Ryan was up to. She was going to settle everything without issues and get back
It was Amelia’s third day in Ryan’s home. She couldn’t help counting the days as she was patiently waiting for the weekend to arrive so she could take her daughter and return to their normal lives. As promised, Ryan had made good on his words of keeping her indoors, while working from home. As infuriating as it was, it only made her realize how unwavering the man was. Luckily for her, her boss had granted her the one-week sick leave she’d requested and James had also continuously bought her lies, not questioning her. As uncomfortable as it made her, she was also thankful that he wasn’t noticing how closed off she’d been whenever he requested to speak with Dora. She couldn’t let him speak with the toddler because she knew Dora would innocently spill everything to him.These thoughts took over her mind as they sat for breakfast, with Gretchen dishing their meal. After she was done, she excused herself, and Dora and her dad immediately dug in, both making funny noises all in a bid to pra
“What are you doing here, Selena?” Ryan asked, his expression turning cold.The smile that had been on Selena’s face dropped.“Do I have to get a restraining order against you so it’ll be clear that I no longer want to set eyes on you?” The more he stared at her, the angrier he became. He detested the fact that she showed up with Julia_her new ploy to fight her way into his life. She was toying with the soft spot he had for the toddler.He should never have mixed up with this woman. The last thing he needed was for Amelia to see Selena and her daughter. It’d destroy all of the progress he was still struggling to make and he wasn’t ready for that.He expected Selena to respond with a sassy comeback but instead, her voice softened, a sad expression taking over her demeanor. Ryan’s brows knitted together, wondering what she was up to.“I have no intentions of disrupting your peace but I need a huge favor from you and I’ve looked around but you’re the only one that can help,”“I won’t he
Amelia’s thoughts were disrupted when Ryan threw her into his bed, towering over her. She bounced a bit before stopping and rising to a sitting position.“I promise I’ll never hurt you again, Amelia and I intend to keep that promise as best as I can,” his words caught her off guard but just when she was recovering, he sat beside her and reached for her palm, placing it flat on his chest.Amelia’s heart leaped, her lips suddenly going dry from lack of words. She instinctively licked her lips and his eyes darted to them but he returned his gaze to her eyes. The sincerity in them was almost enough to melt her heart, making it beat wildly against her chest.“Selena is out of town for a few days on a business trip and Julia has no place to stay,”“No friends or family?” Amelia inquired, feeling her anger rise from the ridiculous excuse.“Her friends are all busy, and no, her family resides in the UK,”Amelia’s gaze narrowed at him, still unable to believe that the same Ryan she knew would
Amelia emerged from the Home cinema with confusion etched on her face, wondering who could be looking for her, when she had no friends in New York, and when no one knew of her stay in Ryan’s home. But the moment she got to the door, her eyes bulged out, her mouth dropped open and her steps faltered. It was James. He was standing by the door, a look of betrayal and hurt etched on his face.James’ eyes roamed Amelia’s entire being, his jaw clenching and palms balling into fists. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt that he had no doubt belonged to Ryan. The ghost of a pained smile flicked across his face, his heart dropping from the confirmation of his fears.“So, this is it…” he stated in the strongest voice he could manage, swallowing down his hurt. The moment he’d heard Dora’s voice over the phone calling to her dad, he’d known something was wrong and Amelia’s explanation didn’t add up. And from the way she stuttered while trying to make him believe her lies, coupled with how she
OCTOBER 26TH, 2022 Hello lovelies, Thank you so much for coming this far and for giving my book a chance. I'm glad to announce that this is the end of Amelia and Ryan's story, but their journey will still commence a bit in the next book that'll solely be Cookie and James' story. Also, if you'd like to know Sylvia's secret, it'll be in the next book, titled PLEASING THE BILLIONAIRE, set to release on NOVEMBER 26, 2022. Insight into the series: TITTLE: The Ruthless Billionaires Book One: A Contract with the Billionaire (exclusively available on Goodnovel and completed) Book Two: Pleasing the Billionaire (upcoming) Book Three: (still a work in progress) Also, don’t forget to vote with gems and leave your comments and reviews on the book’s page. They help me grow as an author.
Epilogue: A new beginning?Amelia stood at the entrance of the magnificent church building, dressed in her flowing wedding dress, with the transparent lacy material of her veil covering her face, and Liu holding onto her arm.Two months after her visit to his home, he got well and the preparations for her second wedding ceremony began. She’d asked him to walk her down the aisle and Liu had been honored.“Ready?” he asked, flashing her a loving smile and Amelia grinned in response.“Always,” Surprising her, he leaned in and gently brushed his lips to her temple.“I’m glad I made it to this day, and that you asked me to do this,”Tears welled up in her eyes, amidst her smile but she blinked them away. Deep down, she wished her mom was there too but it was all in the past now and she had a bright future ahead of her and intended to fully enjoy it without her past holding her back.“I’m glad too,” she breathed out in a barely audible voice but Liu headed in and he gently patted her back.
“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” Ryan asked Amelia for the umpteenth time as they drove through the gates of Liu’s estate in Beijing.After the incident with Lara and Benjamin, and after Ryan settled with his family, Amelia thought it was finally time to hear her father out. She recalled the words Jian spoke to her when she’d run away from Ryan after Selena showed up to destroy their wedding and she decided to give Liu a chance to explain himself. But by the time she called to set up a meeting with him in Jian’s home, her stepbrother informed her that their father was very sick and couldn’t leave his home in Beijing where he was receiving intense care from one of the renowned medical practitioners in the world. Amelia felt terrible that he was ill and they still hadn’t settled their differences. Thus, she’d insisted on seeing him, if he was up for it and she also wanted to finally introduce him to Dora.“I’m ready,” she breathed out, smiling weakly at Ryan. As if he could under
It’s been two months since Ryan began the search for Alan Masters, yet no traces of him have been found. At a point, his family had given up on the search and had decided to move forward. With Benjamin in prison and Ryan out of the family, there was no one to run the family’s business and no one was ready to take over because they weren’t ready to start another feud that may end terribly. Left with no option, a meeting was held and Ryan and Amelia were invited. The sole aim of the meeting was to plead with Ryan to return to the family and take up his old position as the heir and the CEO of DCL Inc.At first, Ryan had flat out refused their offer because his new business was flourishing well and he had no intentions of still working for his family or even being the sole heir of the Davidson’s empire but after many pleas from the family and Amelia, who thought he should give them a second chance to right their wrongs, he finally made a decision.He informed them that he’d take up the af
Jian pushed Lara into the living room, where Amelia and Ryan were waiting for her. He stopped beside one of the sofas directly opposite the one Amelia and Ryan were seated on and tried carrying Lara from the wheelchair, to sit on the sofa but she waved him off, offering him a little smile.“Are you sure?” he arched a brow at her and she nodded.“It’s fine,”Jian exhaled and left her, taking the sofa closest to her.It’s been two months since Benjamin was apprehended and in all of that time, Lara was slowly slipping out of her pills-induced state. Although her injuries hadn’t properly healed, she was now aware of the happenings around her and was often awake for a few hours, during which she could speak with people. After the incident with Benjamin, no one was allowed in the home, except Amelia, Ryan, and the doctor who treated her.The first time she’d woken up, she’d been confused, but after her head was clear of the haziness, she told Jian of her last conversation with Benjamin, whe
It was already evening by the time Benjamin returned to the hospital. He walked into the waiting room and was about to head to Lara’s room when the nurse at the counter called him.“Hello, Mr. Davidson,”Benjamin glanced at her, annoyance radiating off him but he managed to keep it hidden, schooling his features into a concerned expression.“Are you here to see Miss Zhang again?” the nurse inquired and he stepped towards her. “Sure,”“Oh well, she’s been moved. She’s no longer here,”Benjamin’s brows furrowed and he stared at her as though she’d just sprouted a second head. The nurse saw the confused expression etched on his face and went on to clarify her words to him.“After you left in the morning, her sister and brother came to move her away. I suggest you ask them about her new location,”Benjamin tensed, his jaw clenching hard. He nodded curtly.“Thank you,”He stormed out of the hospital, his annoyance doubling as he inwardly cursed at Amelia for destroying his plans. If it wa
Amelia was singing cheerfully, swaying her hips and trying to dance to the song she was singing as she prepared breakfast. The rays of the bright morning sun streamed into the kitchen, lighting up the entire place, considering it was still early. She was preparing Dora’s breakfast. She’d woken up early to prepare her breakfast and lunch and to also prepare her for school. After Ryan had healed, they’d quickly moved out of his Manhattan penthouse and had moved over to Brooklyn, away from his family, to start up their lives and his new business. It’s been two months and things were going well for them. For now, she was just a stay-at-home mom, but she’d never been happier, with her fiance and their child. They were living a simple life, with no family members swamping them or even calling for unnecessary meetings. She’d also heard of Benjamin’s immediate take over of the Davidson’s empire on the news and she was glad that Ryan wasn’t concerned. His new business venture was going well,
Ryan was still shocked and trying to wrap his head around what the maid, Mia, had revealed to them. By the time they got home, Dora was already fast asleep. Amelia took her to bed while Ryan retired to their bedroom to prepare for bed, but all he did was stand beside the floor-to-ceiling window of his bedroom, overlooking the city below as he replayed Mia’s words over and over again in his head.He was so lost in his head that he didn’t hear Amelia walk into the room until she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body hat tightly to his back.“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she whispered, trailing one of her hands to his chest and patting him lightly. “We’re not sure if it’s true. It might just be a misunderstanding,”Ryan let out a deep breath.“What if it's true?”Amelia was quiet, not knowing what to say.“We’re no longer safe in their midst,”“What do you want to do?” her hands fell off him and he turned around, staring intently at her.“I think we need to leave this
It’s been a week since Ryan was discharged from the hospital. He’d returned to his home with Amelia and Jian had stopped by to drop Dora off and to also say hello to Ryan. Some of his family members, even Lara, Benjamin, and Adeline had also stopped by to check on them. After that week of his recovery, he decided to call a family meeting to inform them of his plans. Just like he’d told Amelia at the hospital, he’d meant it and as soon as he was discharged, they’d been secretly making plans.It was the weekend and all of the Davidson family were gathered at Clifford’s home to hear Ryan out. He’d informed them that he had some important message to pass on to them. Benjamin and Adeline were also there, and so were Amelia and his daughter. Everyone wondered what he could possibly want to tell them, even his parents but only Amelia was aware of his plans.As soon as the meeting was ready to kick start, Adeline was the first to signify that she had something to say. Li na glared at her. Le